Firefighter chip pan demonstrations banned from schools

Firemen have been banned from demonstrating how to put out chip pan fires to school children — due to health and safety fears.

For decades fire crews have visited schools to deliver safety talks and give practical demonstrations of the best way to extinguish fires.

Chip pan fires are Britain’s leading cause of injury from fire and can only be extinguished by a damp or wetted towel being placed over the top of the pan.



But Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service has now withdrawn the dramatic chip ban demonstration for schoolchildren — in case it encourages children to tackle one at home.

Instead, the pupils will be handed leaflets and given instructions telling them what they should do in the event of a hot oil blaze occurring at home.

The ruling has been made by Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service and came to light after firemen in Torquay, Devon, cancelled a series of chip pan demonstrations that had been planned for schoolchildren. However, firemen and parents have branded the ruling “crazy” and say children need to be shown how to deal with an emergency.